Party Time (New Mutants 1.2, Chapter 4)
Title: Party Time (New Mutants 1.2: Chapter 4)
Author: kanedax
Spoilers: X3, Previous Chapters
Rating: PG13 for language
Summary: Arthur calls for a party
Notes: Original chapter can be found here.
I don't own these characters. They belong to Marvel, Disney, and 20th Century Fox.
Show & Tell / Previous Chapters / Triangles Revisited
"Luke!"
A hand grabbed his ankle through his blanket, shaking it hard.
"Luke... Dude..."
Lucas Bishop groaned, kicking free from the grip and rolling over. "Come on, Mom," he mumbled, "it's Saturday."
"What the fuck are you talkin' about?"
Since when does Mom say fuck?
"He don' want to go with you," came another voice from across the room. "Let him sleep."
Bishop pushed himself up to see a dark shape at the foot of his bed.
"Wazzgonon?"
"Come on, man," the shape whispered. "We're going to a party."
Lucas looked around groggily, trying to get his senses back. As his eyes adjusted, he saw other beds in the room, most of them empty. He saw another shape by the door, and the face in front of him started to clear.
"Yeah, man," said Arthur Centino, a mischievous smile on his face, "We're meeting up with some of the girls. I was able to smuggle a little drink into the place, it's gonna rock."
"What?" Bishop said, waking up fully as shock rolled through him. "Are you nuts? We just got here yesterday, do you want to get kicked out?"
Arthur shook his head. "Ain't gonna happen."
"How do you know?"
Arthur shrugged. "Hasn't happened yet. Come on, man," he said, smacking Lucas's leg, "it'll be fun. Jonesy's all for it, ain't ya, Jonesy?"
Connor Jones, who was standing in the doorway, nodded, but even in the dark Bishop could see a look of apprehension behind his glasses.
"Just go back to sleep, Lucas," the muffled, accented voice of Remy LeBeau said from the bunk next to him. "You had a bad day. Don' let that couyon make it worse."
Lucas closed his eyes, a cold trickle running down his spine. He had to remind me, didn't he?
---------
"You all are going to eventually learn to control your powers," the Professor said, leaning against the plexiglass of the Danger Room's observation deck. Below, Bobby and Kitty stood awaiting their orders. "But today we're going to find out what you have. That's why I want you to go as full tilt as you can."
The large, metal-walled room disappeared, replaced by a burned out war zone. From the suddenly apparating wreckage, two deadly-looking robots, straight out of the Terminator movies, jumped into the fray. Lucas's mouth hung agape, but the two young X-Men took it in stride. Bobby Drake encased himself in flexible ice. One of the robots swung a massive steel arm at him, but it bounced harmlessly off the super-hard armor. Thrown off-balance, the robot couldn't react when Drake blasted it with an intense stream of cold, freezing it in its tracks. Casually, Bobby walked over to the debris, picked up a bent pipe, and shattered the robot's brittle-cold head with one hard baseball swing.
Kitty Pryde, meanwhile, faced off against the second robot. She dodged one slash of its clawed hands. A second. A third. Ducking below a fourth swing, Pryde reached up, her hand vanishing into the robot's chest like it was simply vapor. With two quick jerks, she removed her hand, carrying a circuit board and a bundle of wires. The robot, now lifeless, collapsed as she rolled away, the environment disappearing before it hit the ground.
"That's why you're going to do it in the Danger Room," Cassidy said. "It has all of the equipment that some of you will need to put on a decent display and, obviously, it can take a hell of a beating."
Alison Blaire went first, leaving the observation deck, climbing down the stairs, and re-entering the Danger Room. Bobby and Kitty both gave a wave and a greeting as they passed, and she responded with a roll of her eyes.
"Okay, Alison," said Sean through the deck's speakers. "Let's see what you have."
"What?" Alison yelled.
"Do you remember how you activated your powers before?"
"Yeah, I think so," she said. She closed her eyes, concentrated, and flicked her wrist.
Nothing happened.
"The fuck," she groaned. She flicked her wrist again. Nothing. Snapped her fingers. Nothing.
"This is stupid," she said as she snapped her fingers. As she did, a dull red flash, no brighter than an ember from a campfire, emitted from her fingertip.
"See?" Cassidy said to rest of the class, "It's also a learning experience. Some of us aren't yet sure what exactly your powers actually are, or how to activate them. So we do a bit of trial and error. Alison?"
"Yeah?" She yelled from down below, a blue ball of light, brighter than before, flashed in her palm.
"Don't say anything, and try it again."
Sighing, Alison threw her hands out. Nothing happened.
Cassidy pressed a few buttons, and suddenly music filled the room. Alison's face contorted.
"Oh, God," she moaned. "What is this crap?"
"The Pogues are crap?" Cassidy asked, then shook his head sadly. "I'm gettin' old. Try it again, Alison."
Shaking her head, she threw out her hands again. This time the room filled with a dozen glowing colored balls. She looked around, shocked, did it again. More explosions.
"So, you're telling me my powers are activated by nerdy Irish folk-rock?"
Cassidy smiled. "We'll run more tests later," he said, "but right now it looks like your power is connected with sound. Keep going."
As her performance background took over, Alison turned the Danger Room into her stage, dancing around to the music and making brighter and brighter flashes of energy. As The Pogues rolled into U2, Cassidy turned up the music. The colors became so bright that the class was practically squinting from the glare. When he finally turned it off, Alison looked up at the observation deck with disappointment. Sean turned back to the class.
"Who wants to go next?"
Arthur stood up, rubbing his hands together. "Gimme something to swing on."
It went on like that. Arthur did some incredible swinging acrobatics across the Danger Room, but not before explaining to the class that he only weighed 80 pounds. He had been born with hollow, yet super-strong, bones, allowing him much better agility.
After Arthur, Remy borrowed a pencil from Bishop, a hairpin from Alison, and a quarter from Sean. Entering the Danger Room, he then proceeded to throw each item, glowing purple, across the Danger Room, where it exploded against the far wall.
"I'll pay you back," he said calmly to the professor as he returned, sitting back down beside Lucas as if he had simply answered an easy math question on a blackboard instead of launching a series of bombs.
Jimmy was next, although he didn't even have to leave the observation deck. When his time came, he simply sat down next to Alison, told her to throw some more light balls, then started to hum to get her started. Giving him a strange look, and looking to the professor, who only nodded, she flicked her finger up to the ceiling.
Nothing happened.
A look of confusion crossed her face, and she flung her hand up. Still nothing. Jimmy smirked, and chuckled under his breath, momentarily breaking his hummed rendition of the Super Mario theme.
Alison grunted in frustration, but the professor merely raised his hand.
"Jimmy's powers negate any mutant ability within a certain range," he explained. "The Cure, as you all know it, was created using portions of his DNA. Now that it's able to be produced synthetically, Jimmy was free to join us here and learn to broaden and hone his mutation.
"Lucas, you're next?"
---------
“Don’t be such a pussy, LeBeau.”
“I don’ take risks dat have no reason,” Remy said, his head never rising from the pillow. “Getting drunk isn’t worth the risk. And if you ever call me a ‘pussy’ again, mon ami, you’ll be taking another tour of de med lab. Probably stay de night this time, too.”
Lucas saw Arthur’s jaw clench, his hand (Does he have four fingers? Lucas noticed) tightening into a fist.
“Arthur,” he said quickly, trying to break the tension, “Thanks for the offer, but I think I just need some sleep.”
Arthur’s head swung to face Lucas. His face relaxed. “Are you sure?”
“Yeah, I’m wiped. Thanks, though.”
Arthur shrugged. “All right, dude, have it your way. Come on, Jonesy.”
Arthur walked to the door and, slapping Jones on the shoulder, exited into the hallway. As he did, Lucas thought he saw a glint in Arthur’s left eye.
Must have been a reflection from the moon, he thought, laying back down and trying to get back to sleep. He mind, however, refused.
You went out the Danger Room because you were afraid to say that you couldn't. You have no idea what your so-called powers are, and neither do they. You made a fool of yourself, flailing your arms, scrunching your face, focusing you energy on nothing.
Your entire life you’ve been an outsider. Too white for some people, too black for others, too nerdy for pretty much everyone. You’ve spent more nights on Everquest than with friends, not having any real place to belong. And now this.
You don’t belong here, either. You're not a mutant. So why not go with them? Be a rebel for once in your life. If you get in trouble, you get kicked out. If you don’t, you’ll probably get kicked out anyway. Your mutation's just an above-average spleen, or something like that. Why would they want you around when they're busy with kids that can turn paper clips into bombs or light flares to the stirring melodies of U2's Rattle & Hum?
You're only here for another day. Two at the most. Make it memorable.
“Arthur!”
Before he even knew he was doing it, Lucas had jumped out of bed, catching up, as quietly as possible, to the two boys. Arthur turned around and patted him on the shoulder as he joined them.
“Nice to have you on the team, Luke.”
“Where are we going?” Lucas whispered as they made their way down the hall.
Arthur turned to look at Bishop. As he did, his left eye glinted. Are you sure that's just a reflection? Lucas thought.
“To a nice, quiet spot," Arthur replied. "We’re meeting Blaire and Jubes.”
"Alright," said Lucas, wondering if he should be regretting the situation. It's one thing to slip out and join the so-called party. But to hang out with those four? At thirteen, he couldn't help wondering if he'd be treated like the baby of the group since, well, he was.
Nevertheless, he continued to follow Arthur and Jones down the stairs. As they reached the main hall, they could hear voices.
“--national news, the small town of Sage, Nebraska is reeling after a gas explosion kills--”
Arthur held his arm out, stopping the other two at the intersection. He turned to Jones.
“Didn't you say everyone was in bed?”
Jones shrugged. “I guess I was wrong”
“Should we go back?” Lucas asked.
“--are confirmed dead, with one still unaccounted for. Authorities in Sage, twenty miles south of--”
Bishop peeked around the corner, and saw a familiar blue glow of a television emanating from a room down the hall. Closer to them, in what he remembered from the tour to be the kitchen, another light was on.
“Come on, we should go back…” he said nervously.
“And let the girls get in trouble by themselves?” Arthur smirked. “What kind of gentlemen would we be? Come on.”
“Coming up in sports--”
As the three quietly crossed the hallway, there was a tired groan from the entertainment room. A moment later, the light turned off, silencing the television.
“Shit,” Arthur hissed, grabbing the Lucas and Jones by the collar and pulling them back again. Footsteps could be heard approaching them from where the television had been playing. "All right, we gotta go back. Hurry!”
His eye flashed again.
"Achoo!"
“Gesundheit.”
“Oh, hey, Bobby,” the girl’s voice replied, and the footsteps entered the kitchen.
Arthur looked back at Lucas and Jones, his eyes wide with surprise. "Change of plan again," he said, rallying. "Move!"
The three once again crossed the dim hallway, hearing the muffled voices of Bobby Drake and Kitty Pryde in the kitchen.
“Where’s the elevator, Jonesy?” Arthur whispered after they knew they were in the clear.
"Over here," said Jones, pointing to a blank patch of wall.
"Elevator?" Bishop asked, his courage leaving him. "Like to the subbasement?"
“Isn’t it quiet enough down there for you?”
“Yeah, but…”
“Come on,” Arthur said, “live a little. Where's the button, Jonesy?”
Bishop and Jones exchanged nervous looks. Jones sighed. "Don't need one," he said. His eyes blinked behind his thick glasses, and the panel of wall slid aside, revealing a glimmering white elevator.
“Aren’t there, like, security cameras and stuff?” asked Lucas as the door slid shut on hem.
“Not many,” Jones quietly responded. “Two of the world's most powerful telepaths used to live here. Security cameras weren’t really in the budget.”
“Ummm, isn’t there still a powerful telepath living here? You know, the one with the mutant power to expel us?”
Arthur gave Lucas a look. “Have we been caught yet?”
“No, but…”
“We're fine," Arthur said with a wave of his hand. "It’s our first night in a new place, and we couldn’t sleep. So Jonesy decided to give us a little tour.”
Bishop tapped the pocket of Arthur’s pajama pants. Glass tinked against his knuckle.
“And that?”
Arthur smirked. “Cough medicine.”
The door slid open to reveal the bright metal hallway of the mansion's secret subbasement. As the exited, they discovered not two, but three girls standing in front of the door.
“Hello, ladies,” said Arthur, turning on the charm. "Cassidy, a pleasant surprise."
“We really shouldn’t be here, guys,” the redhead, who Lucas remembered as Theresa Cassidy, mumbled, her arms crossed tight across her pajama top.
“I didn’t ask you to come,” Jubilee said with a teasing grin.
“I was hoping that if I did come you’d call it off,” Theresa replied, "since you wouldn't want your best friend to get in trouble."
“Nerd patrol, huh?” said Alison, giving Jones and Lucas a gaze that would kill flies.
“Hey, they’re good people,” Arthur said, walking the group down the hall. “The more the merrier, right, Theresa?”
“She’s not here to watch out for us, anyway,” said Jubilee, the teasing grin never leaving her face. “She was just hoping Remy would be here.”
As Theresa blushed and muttered something inaudible, Arthur snorted. “LeBeau’s a wuss. You can do a lot better, believe me. Here we are."
Bishop suddenly realized where they were standing. “The Danger Room?" he gasped, staring at the giant door. "Are you insane?”
Arthur smiled, and tapped on the door. “Soundproof, ain’t it? Open up, Jonesy.”
Jones gave the group a last nervous look, then turned to the door. He blinked, and it slid open.
“See?” Arthur said, slapping Lucas on the shoulder. “Easy as--"
The ceiling-mounted gun flipped out from the just inside the doorway, pointing directly at the group. Arthur's instinct took over. He dove to the side, away from the door, his eye flashing once again. The gun turned away from him.
Lucas Bishop looked down the barrel of the gun. Heard the laser fire. And his world went red.
Show & Tell / Previous Chapters / Triangles Revisited
Author: kanedax
Spoilers: X3, Previous Chapters
Rating: PG13 for language
Summary: Arthur calls for a party
Notes: Original chapter can be found here.
I don't own these characters. They belong to Marvel, Disney, and 20th Century Fox.
Show & Tell / Previous Chapters / Triangles Revisited
"Luke!"
A hand grabbed his ankle through his blanket, shaking it hard.
"Luke... Dude..."
Lucas Bishop groaned, kicking free from the grip and rolling over. "Come on, Mom," he mumbled, "it's Saturday."
"What the fuck are you talkin' about?"
Since when does Mom say fuck?
"He don' want to go with you," came another voice from across the room. "Let him sleep."
Bishop pushed himself up to see a dark shape at the foot of his bed.
"Wazzgonon?"
"Come on, man," the shape whispered. "We're going to a party."
Lucas looked around groggily, trying to get his senses back. As his eyes adjusted, he saw other beds in the room, most of them empty. He saw another shape by the door, and the face in front of him started to clear.
"Yeah, man," said Arthur Centino, a mischievous smile on his face, "We're meeting up with some of the girls. I was able to smuggle a little drink into the place, it's gonna rock."
"What?" Bishop said, waking up fully as shock rolled through him. "Are you nuts? We just got here yesterday, do you want to get kicked out?"
Arthur shook his head. "Ain't gonna happen."
"How do you know?"
Arthur shrugged. "Hasn't happened yet. Come on, man," he said, smacking Lucas's leg, "it'll be fun. Jonesy's all for it, ain't ya, Jonesy?"
Connor Jones, who was standing in the doorway, nodded, but even in the dark Bishop could see a look of apprehension behind his glasses.
"Just go back to sleep, Lucas," the muffled, accented voice of Remy LeBeau said from the bunk next to him. "You had a bad day. Don' let that couyon make it worse."
Lucas closed his eyes, a cold trickle running down his spine. He had to remind me, didn't he?
---------
"You all are going to eventually learn to control your powers," the Professor said, leaning against the plexiglass of the Danger Room's observation deck. Below, Bobby and Kitty stood awaiting their orders. "But today we're going to find out what you have. That's why I want you to go as full tilt as you can."
The large, metal-walled room disappeared, replaced by a burned out war zone. From the suddenly apparating wreckage, two deadly-looking robots, straight out of the Terminator movies, jumped into the fray. Lucas's mouth hung agape, but the two young X-Men took it in stride. Bobby Drake encased himself in flexible ice. One of the robots swung a massive steel arm at him, but it bounced harmlessly off the super-hard armor. Thrown off-balance, the robot couldn't react when Drake blasted it with an intense stream of cold, freezing it in its tracks. Casually, Bobby walked over to the debris, picked up a bent pipe, and shattered the robot's brittle-cold head with one hard baseball swing.
Kitty Pryde, meanwhile, faced off against the second robot. She dodged one slash of its clawed hands. A second. A third. Ducking below a fourth swing, Pryde reached up, her hand vanishing into the robot's chest like it was simply vapor. With two quick jerks, she removed her hand, carrying a circuit board and a bundle of wires. The robot, now lifeless, collapsed as she rolled away, the environment disappearing before it hit the ground.
"That's why you're going to do it in the Danger Room," Cassidy said. "It has all of the equipment that some of you will need to put on a decent display and, obviously, it can take a hell of a beating."
Alison Blaire went first, leaving the observation deck, climbing down the stairs, and re-entering the Danger Room. Bobby and Kitty both gave a wave and a greeting as they passed, and she responded with a roll of her eyes.
"Okay, Alison," said Sean through the deck's speakers. "Let's see what you have."
"What?" Alison yelled.
"Do you remember how you activated your powers before?"
"Yeah, I think so," she said. She closed her eyes, concentrated, and flicked her wrist.
Nothing happened.
"The fuck," she groaned. She flicked her wrist again. Nothing. Snapped her fingers. Nothing.
"This is stupid," she said as she snapped her fingers. As she did, a dull red flash, no brighter than an ember from a campfire, emitted from her fingertip.
"See?" Cassidy said to rest of the class, "It's also a learning experience. Some of us aren't yet sure what exactly your powers actually are, or how to activate them. So we do a bit of trial and error. Alison?"
"Yeah?" She yelled from down below, a blue ball of light, brighter than before, flashed in her palm.
"Don't say anything, and try it again."
Sighing, Alison threw her hands out. Nothing happened.
Cassidy pressed a few buttons, and suddenly music filled the room. Alison's face contorted.
"Oh, God," she moaned. "What is this crap?"
"The Pogues are crap?" Cassidy asked, then shook his head sadly. "I'm gettin' old. Try it again, Alison."
Shaking her head, she threw out her hands again. This time the room filled with a dozen glowing colored balls. She looked around, shocked, did it again. More explosions.
"So, you're telling me my powers are activated by nerdy Irish folk-rock?"
Cassidy smiled. "We'll run more tests later," he said, "but right now it looks like your power is connected with sound. Keep going."
As her performance background took over, Alison turned the Danger Room into her stage, dancing around to the music and making brighter and brighter flashes of energy. As The Pogues rolled into U2, Cassidy turned up the music. The colors became so bright that the class was practically squinting from the glare. When he finally turned it off, Alison looked up at the observation deck with disappointment. Sean turned back to the class.
"Who wants to go next?"
Arthur stood up, rubbing his hands together. "Gimme something to swing on."
It went on like that. Arthur did some incredible swinging acrobatics across the Danger Room, but not before explaining to the class that he only weighed 80 pounds. He had been born with hollow, yet super-strong, bones, allowing him much better agility.
After Arthur, Remy borrowed a pencil from Bishop, a hairpin from Alison, and a quarter from Sean. Entering the Danger Room, he then proceeded to throw each item, glowing purple, across the Danger Room, where it exploded against the far wall.
"I'll pay you back," he said calmly to the professor as he returned, sitting back down beside Lucas as if he had simply answered an easy math question on a blackboard instead of launching a series of bombs.
Jimmy was next, although he didn't even have to leave the observation deck. When his time came, he simply sat down next to Alison, told her to throw some more light balls, then started to hum to get her started. Giving him a strange look, and looking to the professor, who only nodded, she flicked her finger up to the ceiling.
Nothing happened.
A look of confusion crossed her face, and she flung her hand up. Still nothing. Jimmy smirked, and chuckled under his breath, momentarily breaking his hummed rendition of the Super Mario theme.
Alison grunted in frustration, but the professor merely raised his hand.
"Jimmy's powers negate any mutant ability within a certain range," he explained. "The Cure, as you all know it, was created using portions of his DNA. Now that it's able to be produced synthetically, Jimmy was free to join us here and learn to broaden and hone his mutation.
"Lucas, you're next?"
---------
“Don’t be such a pussy, LeBeau.”
“I don’ take risks dat have no reason,” Remy said, his head never rising from the pillow. “Getting drunk isn’t worth the risk. And if you ever call me a ‘pussy’ again, mon ami, you’ll be taking another tour of de med lab. Probably stay de night this time, too.”
Lucas saw Arthur’s jaw clench, his hand (Does he have four fingers? Lucas noticed) tightening into a fist.
“Arthur,” he said quickly, trying to break the tension, “Thanks for the offer, but I think I just need some sleep.”
Arthur’s head swung to face Lucas. His face relaxed. “Are you sure?”
“Yeah, I’m wiped. Thanks, though.”
Arthur shrugged. “All right, dude, have it your way. Come on, Jonesy.”
Arthur walked to the door and, slapping Jones on the shoulder, exited into the hallway. As he did, Lucas thought he saw a glint in Arthur’s left eye.
Must have been a reflection from the moon, he thought, laying back down and trying to get back to sleep. He mind, however, refused.
You went out the Danger Room because you were afraid to say that you couldn't. You have no idea what your so-called powers are, and neither do they. You made a fool of yourself, flailing your arms, scrunching your face, focusing you energy on nothing.
Your entire life you’ve been an outsider. Too white for some people, too black for others, too nerdy for pretty much everyone. You’ve spent more nights on Everquest than with friends, not having any real place to belong. And now this.
You don’t belong here, either. You're not a mutant. So why not go with them? Be a rebel for once in your life. If you get in trouble, you get kicked out. If you don’t, you’ll probably get kicked out anyway. Your mutation's just an above-average spleen, or something like that. Why would they want you around when they're busy with kids that can turn paper clips into bombs or light flares to the stirring melodies of U2's Rattle & Hum?
You're only here for another day. Two at the most. Make it memorable.
“Arthur!”
Before he even knew he was doing it, Lucas had jumped out of bed, catching up, as quietly as possible, to the two boys. Arthur turned around and patted him on the shoulder as he joined them.
“Nice to have you on the team, Luke.”
“Where are we going?” Lucas whispered as they made their way down the hall.
Arthur turned to look at Bishop. As he did, his left eye glinted. Are you sure that's just a reflection? Lucas thought.
“To a nice, quiet spot," Arthur replied. "We’re meeting Blaire and Jubes.”
"Alright," said Lucas, wondering if he should be regretting the situation. It's one thing to slip out and join the so-called party. But to hang out with those four? At thirteen, he couldn't help wondering if he'd be treated like the baby of the group since, well, he was.
Nevertheless, he continued to follow Arthur and Jones down the stairs. As they reached the main hall, they could hear voices.
“--national news, the small town of Sage, Nebraska is reeling after a gas explosion kills--”
Arthur held his arm out, stopping the other two at the intersection. He turned to Jones.
“Didn't you say everyone was in bed?”
Jones shrugged. “I guess I was wrong”
“Should we go back?” Lucas asked.
“--are confirmed dead, with one still unaccounted for. Authorities in Sage, twenty miles south of--”
Bishop peeked around the corner, and saw a familiar blue glow of a television emanating from a room down the hall. Closer to them, in what he remembered from the tour to be the kitchen, another light was on.
“Come on, we should go back…” he said nervously.
“And let the girls get in trouble by themselves?” Arthur smirked. “What kind of gentlemen would we be? Come on.”
“Coming up in sports--”
As the three quietly crossed the hallway, there was a tired groan from the entertainment room. A moment later, the light turned off, silencing the television.
“Shit,” Arthur hissed, grabbing the Lucas and Jones by the collar and pulling them back again. Footsteps could be heard approaching them from where the television had been playing. "All right, we gotta go back. Hurry!”
His eye flashed again.
"Achoo!"
“Gesundheit.”
“Oh, hey, Bobby,” the girl’s voice replied, and the footsteps entered the kitchen.
Arthur looked back at Lucas and Jones, his eyes wide with surprise. "Change of plan again," he said, rallying. "Move!"
The three once again crossed the dim hallway, hearing the muffled voices of Bobby Drake and Kitty Pryde in the kitchen.
“Where’s the elevator, Jonesy?” Arthur whispered after they knew they were in the clear.
"Over here," said Jones, pointing to a blank patch of wall.
"Elevator?" Bishop asked, his courage leaving him. "Like to the subbasement?"
“Isn’t it quiet enough down there for you?”
“Yeah, but…”
“Come on,” Arthur said, “live a little. Where's the button, Jonesy?”
Bishop and Jones exchanged nervous looks. Jones sighed. "Don't need one," he said. His eyes blinked behind his thick glasses, and the panel of wall slid aside, revealing a glimmering white elevator.
“Aren’t there, like, security cameras and stuff?” asked Lucas as the door slid shut on hem.
“Not many,” Jones quietly responded. “Two of the world's most powerful telepaths used to live here. Security cameras weren’t really in the budget.”
“Ummm, isn’t there still a powerful telepath living here? You know, the one with the mutant power to expel us?”
Arthur gave Lucas a look. “Have we been caught yet?”
“No, but…”
“We're fine," Arthur said with a wave of his hand. "It’s our first night in a new place, and we couldn’t sleep. So Jonesy decided to give us a little tour.”
Bishop tapped the pocket of Arthur’s pajama pants. Glass tinked against his knuckle.
“And that?”
Arthur smirked. “Cough medicine.”
The door slid open to reveal the bright metal hallway of the mansion's secret subbasement. As the exited, they discovered not two, but three girls standing in front of the door.
“Hello, ladies,” said Arthur, turning on the charm. "Cassidy, a pleasant surprise."
“We really shouldn’t be here, guys,” the redhead, who Lucas remembered as Theresa Cassidy, mumbled, her arms crossed tight across her pajama top.
“I didn’t ask you to come,” Jubilee said with a teasing grin.
“I was hoping that if I did come you’d call it off,” Theresa replied, "since you wouldn't want your best friend to get in trouble."
“Nerd patrol, huh?” said Alison, giving Jones and Lucas a gaze that would kill flies.
“Hey, they’re good people,” Arthur said, walking the group down the hall. “The more the merrier, right, Theresa?”
“She’s not here to watch out for us, anyway,” said Jubilee, the teasing grin never leaving her face. “She was just hoping Remy would be here.”
As Theresa blushed and muttered something inaudible, Arthur snorted. “LeBeau’s a wuss. You can do a lot better, believe me. Here we are."
Bishop suddenly realized where they were standing. “The Danger Room?" he gasped, staring at the giant door. "Are you insane?”
Arthur smiled, and tapped on the door. “Soundproof, ain’t it? Open up, Jonesy.”
Jones gave the group a last nervous look, then turned to the door. He blinked, and it slid open.
“See?” Arthur said, slapping Lucas on the shoulder. “Easy as--"
The ceiling-mounted gun flipped out from the just inside the doorway, pointing directly at the group. Arthur's instinct took over. He dove to the side, away from the door, his eye flashing once again. The gun turned away from him.
Lucas Bishop looked down the barrel of the gun. Heard the laser fire. And his world went red.
Show & Tell / Previous Chapters / Triangles Revisited